Well, it's a traditional form, that's all, and we all participate in a great many traditional forms that we don't necessarily believe in every single detail of...but as long as we believe in the basic objective of the tradition itself, we do it. I take it you do believe in the basic objective of the presidential oath?

During my 10 years in American public schools, I did not participate (as everyone was required to) in the daily reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. That is, I outwardly appeared to be participating...no point in openly fighting that war with the whole apparatus all around me at the time, it would have been foolish to do so...but I mumbled and didn't actually say the required words. This was because I had no allegiance to the American flag, none whatsoever, and I wasn't about to say I did. I did not believe in the basic objective of the ceremony....since I was not an American citizen, and I was missing my own country and wishing I was back there.

I was also an atheist at the time, but I didn't feel bothered by the mention of "God" in traditional speech forms such as "God knows" or "So help me God". I took them as common customs, not statements of categorical belief in a deity. Anyway, people mostly use the word "God" in such phrases simply to add emphasis to what they are saying.

The listeners each have their own interpretation of what their god is - that's what they hear and assume I mean - and I've never been sworn in using that word, always simply choosing to affirm that what I say is true. Why play their game if you don't believe in it?

Yay, Stilly! I'm so glad you bagged the big 'un! I just walked in the door from our annual ski trip to Harriman state park. This time we lived in luxury and did not stay in the canvas-sided yurt. I was surprised, though, that the boys all thought about the non-electricity, unplumbed yurt days with nostalgia. We may go back to roughing it next year, but this year some other group had gone and hogged the spots. Beautiful blue sky, crisp air, snow covered trees, and swans on the misty river. It was perfect.

So help me! is often considered sufficient among the American middle class: "Boy, you put them socks and things away RAHT NOW or so help me!", for example. It leaves the Powers that are the Source of All Help undefined and personal, like. Good idea, American ingenuity at play.

Yeah, yeah, BookManne; you believe that dexterous denial and determined disingenuousness with your disarming but dysfunctionally dreary misdirections will make you somehow transparent? Ain't gonna happen, bud. Ya gots to own your own shit in this here jungle.

She has a problem with using the word "god"? Why doesn't she just redefine it in a way that suits her? After all, that's what everyone else has been doing ever since that word came into use! ;-) And why assume that your definition is the only one? Maybe "God" doesn't even vaguely resemble whatever it is that comes into her mind when she hears the word "god". If so, her resistance to the concept would be rendered meaningless. It's like many other words, it can mean a hundred different things. Consider the word "fuck", for example, which also can mean a hundred different things from the best to the worst, depending on tone of voice, intention, company, and context. Does she avoid use of that word also?

Amos? What are you going on about? Are you okay or off your meds again? Are you getting enough sleep or must Mom hold you in her arms and rock you, all the while crooning "The Ballad of One-Ball Reilly" as she has in the past?

The person who asked me to ask Chongo is named Antonio G. (I'm not authorized to give you his last name) and he lives in Malibu. I posted it as he sent it to me, signature and all.

Amos, yours is not the only name that begins with the letter "A". Even my middle name begins with that letter. My brother's first name does. My late Aunt Annie's first name did. So did Adam's name. The names of Abraham Lincoln, Asa Mercer, Al Capp, Alphonse Capone, Annie Oakley, Albert of Sax-Coberg-Gotha, Alexander the Great. The letter "A" has a pedigree nearly as vast as the letter "M" -- but it can mean more than "Amos."

I see where the BookManne is letting his slimy side show by resorting to sleazy and slanderous slippery-slope snake-in-the-grass stuff over on the bizarre Chongo Advice thread. I mean really, Rapp, if I mean that much to you, man up and get it said up front, pal. I'm easy to talk to.

Awww, I think that since you're there you ought to try to take in a little of the inaugural festivities if any are convenient. It'll give you a bit of a boost when you remember all of the aspects of this trip. Head by Bloomingdales, see if you can't pick up a tux and a ballgown. I hear some hotels are arranging substantial discounts at local retailers just in time for their customers to come to town and shop to attend one of the balls. :)

He pretty certain that that wouldn't work. I told him that there were all sorts of saints already, so why not one for heretics? He didn't have an answer.

BUT he did do a real, "uncanned", sermon about Rita. Inaccurate to those who really knew her, but he tried.

Now for Arlington on Wednesday. No, we are NOT going anywhere near downtown DC this weekend!

We're lucky -- we're in a motel room until the 28th at US $79/night and hotel rooms are going for an AVERAGE of US $450/night in DC because of the inauguration.

People came in from all over, and when we followed the casket down the aisle at church the "Sodality" lined the aisle with lit candles on both sides. I've never been quite certain was the Sodality was/is, but most Catholic churches have one. When I saw it I could only think of Voltaire's supposed last words, "What? The flames already?"

Well, see, I'm just trying to figure it out from my own perspective, Rap. I don't go near a church unless I totally respect and like and downright admire the quality of the people who are running it. And the denomination simply doesn't matter to me. I couldn't care less if it's Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, Anglican, Jewish, Lutheran, Muslim or whatever the heck it is....what matters to me is the philosophy and conduct of the leadership at the place! And the attitude of the congregation. If they are people whom I find inspiring, due to their excellent character, their intelligence, and their philosophy, and their good conduct...

Then that's where I'll go.

If they use fear, divine punishment, and guilt as motivators, I have nothing to do with them. If they work from a positive perspective emphasizing love, brotherhood, and respect for human diversity, then that's for me.

I guess that starting out life as an atheist in an atheistic family isn't such a bad thing after all...it allows you total freedom to give equal consideration to all the religious possibilities, and not be bound by some family tradition.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...the very best, kindest, most intelligent, and most socially progressive (and liberal) people I've ever met have been people of what is generally termed "faith"...but they certainly weren't all members of the same church or the same religion. They can be found here and there in virtually all churches and religions. They may be relatively rare. But they are definitely out there.

My MIL lived in it for many years and helped build the church, hauling bricks and stuff I suppose. Irish were always good hod carriers. She considered it "her" parish church. The Msgr. is just too damned full of himself -- I told him last night about the pastor back home telling me I'd make a good heretic because I was too well educated Catholicism and I was intelligent. This dude (considers himself Rome-bound, I guess) said, "We'll try to prevent that." I mentioned I wanted to avoid the fate of Savanarola and he said that was a good idea -- I don't think he knows who that was, but it put him on notice not to screw around with me.

Pat's already messed with him -- one of the gift bearers is Episcopalian, and other participants aren't "adults."

Maggie and me are back from the big park down the road some; she gets all worked up when I swing my ball-thrower at her, and dances on her hind feet with her tongue lolling out and her ears flapping up and down like lily pads in a high breeze. It is something. Then I let her fly,and that dog transforms into a greased bullet, takes off like something shot from a gun, and overruns the ball just before it disappears into the canyon at the end of the park. She sends up a cloud of dust screeching to a halt and turns and pounces on it as though it were tryig to escape. I tell ya, it is something to see.

Half the time she remembers to bring it all the way back and the cycle repeats. But other times, she just forgets what we are doing and runs off to smell a pee-stain in the grass or something, and forgets the meaning of the word "ball". Just escapes her mind altogether until I walk over and pick it up. Then she gets interested again.

Penelope Rutledge stood me up. We had a date, but I guess I didn't offer her enough money so she didn't show up. I mean, her boots and miniskirt told you quite plainly that she was a "business girl" and very much for hire.

In his youthful attempts at poetry he was remarkably prescient about MOAB and all that. The first electronic computers had only been around for a decade or so, let alone the Internet, Mudcat, and MOM. But I quibble . . .

Well, you should be aware that Mortimer is a direct great-uncle of one of your favorite Britons, the ne-er-do-well spendthrift Miss Penelop Rutledge, and he holds the purse strings of the ancient family estate. So I would be a bit cautious about slagging his youthful efforts at poetry.